English actor Tom Hopper had his career beginnings in the mid-2000s. During his initial years, he made guest appearances on the British shows Casualty, Kingdom, and Doctor Who. His first big screen role was in Saxon. He next appeared in the film Tormented. His acting career became more prolific the following decade. This started with his role as Sir Percival on Merlin. It was, however, his role as William “Billy Bones” Manderly on the Starz series Black Sails that earned him wider recognition. Simultaneously, he acted in the films Northmen: A Viking Saga and Kill Ratio. After Black Sails ended in 2017, he played the role of Dickon Tarly on Game of Thrones.

From his recurring role on Merlin to his starring performance on Black Sails, his fans saw his body’s transformation. Of course, his achieved a bulkier physique for Black Sails with a vigorous training routine. It wasn’t hard for him to stick to a workout regimen because he grew up being active. In an interview, he said: “I grew up playing a lot of sports—rugby, soccer, roller hockey, and swimming. But rugby was, and still is, my favorite. Recently, I’ve taken up golf because I can spend more time with friends.”

He also revealed his secret to staying in shape. He said: “The intensity of my work­outs for Black Sails goes up about tenfold compared with the off-season. But I try to keep my physique in check at all times so I don’t slip out of shape between seasons or jobs. I really enjoy the 15- to 20-minute workouts to work my entire body at a high in­­ten­­sity and get a huge metabolic boost. In one routine, I hold a barbell the whole time and do 10 reps each of a deadlift, bentover row, front squat, push press, and back squat while rowing or sprinting between each set.”